We’re just not that worried about showcasing creative work that we had no part in. There are some fantastic artists, composers and companies doing good work way under the radar these days, and we figure what comes around goes around. Well, we hope, anyway. It’s a karmic thing, I guess… like if karma were less religious and more of a secular ethic of reciprocity. But I digress.

Browsing some of my favorite inspirational feeds and blogs last night I happened across this trailer for OFFF 2007

I occasionally get asked about the gear I use for composing. While Burst HQ does have some expensive goodies (of course we spare no expense for YOU, our friends and fans), and I’ve already mentioned my beloved toys, some of my favorite things are free plug-ins. Because I’m a cheap bastard, I love to troll KVR Audio looking for that ever-elusive “free” tag.

I’ve compiled here my 8 favorite free plug-ins.

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled their new mnemonic, hoping to follow in the gilded footsteps of other companies with ubiquitous sonic identities such as Intel (the Pentium signature was composed by Musikvergnuegen), NBC’s chimes (their classic three-note audio signature actually started as a live bell performance on their radio broadcasts), and the slightly-more-annoying-but-still-effective Zoom Zoom for Mazda.

As has been previously noted, I have a borderline-unhealthy predilection towards toy instruments. I scour thrift stores, search Ebay obsessively, and hit up Craigslist every day.

However, since my wife and I bought our first house, the pile of farthings available for vintage Casiotone purchases has dwindled to nothing.

Luckily, there is a man that I can live vicariously through. His name is Eric, he lives in Germany, and he has what I consider to be the coolest collection of vintage electronic noise-makers in the world. Not the most extensive, mind you, but undoubtedly the coolest. Sometimes, when I’m looking longingly up at the stars, I wonder it he’s looking up at the same stars (or rather, the blue sky where the stars are going to be in 8 hours). In a totally platonic, “hug-you-and-hit-you” sort of way.

We got an email last week from one of our friends and sonic heroes, Eric Persing (of Spectrasonics). He had a project for us.

Located : one vintage Vako Orchestron polyphonic organ, the successor to the Optigan.

Our mission : head to a basement in ‘Stallis (West Allis for those of you outside the Milwaukee area) and record samples of this rare and coveted beast.

Happy to say, the fine gent who was brokering this gorgeous piece of synthesizer antiquity, Jim Davisson, could not have been nicer or more accomodating, and our recording session was a complete success. Jim had done a remarkable job of restoring the instrument after having finally convinced his long-time friend to sell it, and we were able to grab some super clean samples of the entire keyboard (and most of the limited soundset).

I know Eric has some surprises planned for the sounds, and he always does amazing work, so we’ll be super stoked to finally get Spectrasonics’ new software instruments (next year?)… until then, the only place you can hear this incredible bit of music technology history is in music produced right here at Burst Labs.

We’ll post an update when some of our latest tracks featuring the Orchestron are uploaded.

For those among you with two feet solidly planted in the world of music-technology-geekery, Jim has agreed to come by Burst HQ and talk about the history of the Orchestron and his restoration process. Check back here for an update soon. [dh]

In producing the Halloween-inspired tracks for our production music catalog at Burst Labs, we created a small library of original sound design and sonic effects.

As a companion to our Ode To All Things Evil, The Boogeyman Cometh, we’ve recorded the requisite screams, thumps, chains, and a few dozen gross unmentionables, and have decided to offer them to you completely free as a Creative Commons Licensed download pak (one .zip file, approximately 5.3 MB).